


Working my way back to you

by supercali



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, break up fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-14 16:02:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15392352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercali/pseuds/supercali
Summary: It hadn’t been anyone’s fault, wasn’t one single thing that caused it, the rows and shouting just grew and grew until they both realised that it couldn’t carry on.They tried, everything from counselling to time apart and each time it would work but within a week or so they’d be back at each other’s throats. All they were doing was hurting each other, hurting Seb by prolonging it. Just like that, ten years was over.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I needed some angst after all the fluff on screen (Carbon Monoxide poisoning aside) and this was the result.
> 
> I promise I'll fix it!

It hadn’t been anyone’s fault, wasn’t one single thing that caused it, the rows and shouting just grew and grew until they both realised that it couldn’t carry on.

They tried, everything from counselling to time apart and each time it would work but within a week or so they’d be back at each other’s throats. All they were doing was hurting each other, hurting Seb by prolonging it. Just like that, ten years was over.

He’s packing when he hears footsteps and he wipes the tears from his cheeks so Seb can’t see. He can hear Robert downstairs and he’s glad. He’d told him he needed to talk to Seb himself first. 

“Hey mate.” He tried to keep his voice light as he sits on the bed, patting the space beside him until Seb sits down.

He could’ve taken his stuff when everyone was out, maybe it would’ve been easier but he could still remember hearing the final door slam and seeing his Mum walking down the road away from the house while he was supposed to be asleep as he watched kneeling up at the window still in his pyjamas. He wouldn’t do that to Seb. 

They’d tried to keep everything from him but it was impossible. They’d even talked about staying in the same house until he was older but that wouldn’t make anything easier. They could both still remember the raised voices of their childhood. It was amazing and a little sad that one of the first conversations in months that hadn’t ended in raised voices had been about how to tell him.

“Are you going away again?” It was only a few weeks since he’d got back from staying in London with Liv after all.

“I’m going to stay at the pub for a bit, with Nana Chas.”

“Are you and Daddy still fighting?”

“No, not any more. We, er…” He looked up, saw Robert hovering in the doorway and now it was time he was glad he was there. He doesn’t come in though, just watches, eyes sad. “We’re not getting along very well and we think it’s best if I live somewhere else.”

He’d insisted, deflected all of Robert’s arguments that it was his house, that maybe they should both move, saying that it was Seb’s home and he deserved this to all go as smoothly as it could. 

“Don’t you love us anymore?” He felt his heart break and he hugged Seb close.

“Listen to me, yeah? I will  _always_  love you, and your Dad. We just can’t be together anymore.”

“Sometimes grown ups just can’t be together.” Robert sits beside the little boy, sandwiching him between the two of them like they always did when they watched a film all cuddled up on the sofa, and for a minute it feels good. “But you’re still going to have the both of us. We just won’t all be living together.”

“Really?” Seb’s looking up at him with those blue eyes that were just like Robert’s. The last few days he’d thought about this conversation, what it would be like but nothing could prepare him for how much it  _hurt._

_“Really._ Whenever you want. All you have to do is call me or get Dad to and I’ll be here. Promise.”

“So why can’t you just stay here?”

“Because it hurts us, and you, when we fight and hard as we try we just end up shouting.” It had been what finally made them both realise something had to change. He’d gone to tuck Seb in one night when he was late home from work and had found him crying because he’d heard the shouting between them. “The last thing we want is to upset you.”

“But…you were going to take me to the beach and go-karting.” He smiled because the two of them had made all these plans for the days Robert was working once the school holidays started. He spots Robert looking away and wiping a had over his face.

“We can still do all of that. Remember, we’re going to raid Nana’s change for the arcades. Come here.” He wraps him back into a hug rubbing his back as the tears finally come. “It’s going to be alright, I promise.”

“You can stay over with Aaron loads, can’t he?” They’re both so out of their depth but on this they agree.

“Yeah, whenever you want once I’m settled in. Listen to me, I’m always going to be there for you, don’t you know that Bug?”

“Can I come tomorrow?”

“Seb…”

“Well you can, but I’m going to have do a lot of tidying and stuff. But if you give me until the weekend to get it done, we can have the whole weekend and you can bring all the games that your Dad is useless at…make a proper weekend of it.”

“Oi! I’m not bad at them, they’re just…”

“You are Dad. Friday?” He looks at Aaron again.

“After school, promise.”

“Everything is going to work out mate, we’ll make sure it does.” Robert ruffles his hair, making him squirm as always. “Why don’t you go and play for a bit yeah?”

He looks back at Aaron as he goes and they don’t speak until his footsteps sound from the stairs.

“Thanks.” Robert’s on his feet now, looking awkward and not at all like Robert.

“What for?” He restarts his packing, wants it all to be over.

“Saying all that.”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s all true. You should know that I hope.”

“I’m not trying to…this is hard Aaron and I’m doing the best I can.” He looks round the bare looking room. “We’re really doing this.”

“Robert, don’t. It’s for the best, you know that.” He yanks the zip on the suitcase, struggling when it sticks until Robert’s hands cover his to help. “I need to go.”

“Just…Never thought it’d end like this though.”

“What? Civil and adult? Yeah. Better than hating each other and making it worse for him.”

“I meant it, whenever you want to see him…and maybe one day, we can all do stuff together.”

“Maybe.” He picked up the suitcase looking round. “I’ve probably forgotten loads.”

“I’ll drop it in if you have. Not like you’re going far. Are you sure…about the house I mean. Doesn’t feel right.”

“It’s Seb’s home. Besides, it was never the same without you.” He smiles suddenly. “This is weird.”

“Aaron…” He almost reaches out for him but drops his hand at the last minute and now he definitely needs to go.

“We’re doing the right thing.” Even now, he can’t just leave and he finds himself pressing a last kiss to Robert’s cheek as he leaves. “Bye Robert.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Aaron!” He swung round at the shout as he left the house for work, to see Seb running up the road to him.

“Shouldn’t you be at school?” He raises an eyebrow at the cheeky grin. “Does your Dad know?”

“He’s out. He’s got an early meeting. Aunt Vic was supposed to take me but she had to go to work. Can you take me?” Aaron frowns because Vic wouldn’t just go and leave him but he shrugs.

“Fine. Come on. I can be late to work this once.”

“It’s Friday. You don’t do anything on Fridays anyway.”

“Cheek! Who told you that?” He asks as they get in the car. “Seatbelt.”

“Dad told me.” He reaches over setting music going which Aaron instantly turns off.

“Hmm. Is he alright? He’s had a lot of meetings lately.” A lot of nights he’d still been in the office when Aaron has left, not looking like moving for a while and he’d heard Victoria and Diane commenting on how much he was working, but Aaron hadn’t said anything, wasn’t really his business anymore.

“Think so. I think he’s sad. I heard him talking to Aunt Vic the other day.”

He shouldn’t be asking Seb about this, he’d made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t put him in the middle of them both, but he knows he can’t ask Robert not least because he won’t get the truth.  
  
It’s taken months for them to settle into a sort of friendship that’s more than just making arrangements for Seb but they’d managed it. It’s different to how it was the first time, there’s no animosity, it’s just weird somehow. They were the same with each other, but not. He missed him.  
  
“So what’s he sad about?”

“He misses you.”

“Seb...” This wasn’t anything new, Seb had been insisting Robert missed him almost since they day he left, and he got it, he did but he couldn’t make it better.

“It’s true! I heard him, I did Aaron!”

“Alright, I believe you, but we’ve talked about this. Just because you want something to happen doesn’t mean it will.”

“But you don’t fight anymore.”

“That’s because we’re not together, you know that.” Seb’s making him think though, maybe he should check in with Robert, just to make sure he’s alright. “Why don’t I check he’s really ok, huh? So you’re not worrying.”

“You could stay for tea. Lasagne. You love Dad’s lasagne.” He had to give Seb points for persistence.

“If it’s alright with your Dad then maybe. It doesn’t mean anything, ok?”

“Fine.” Aaron shook his head, that sulky tone was pure Robert. He doesn’t say anything else until Aaron pulls up outside the school.

“Want me to come in and explain why you’re a bit late?” Seb shakes his head. “Seb, it’ll be ok.”

“I want you to come home.”

“I can’t, we’ve been through all of this. It’s better this way it really is. Go on, I’ll see you tonight. Have a good day.” He’s not at all put out that Seb doesn’t look back once as he trudges across the playground, he’s not.

*****

It’s still strange to be knocking on the door of Mill even now. He still has a key, uses it when he’s with Seb and Robert said he could anytime, but he doesn’t. Robert looks tired when he opens the door, still in his suit, so obviously not long home.

“Can I come in then?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I told Seb I would check on you, he was worried. He wants me to stay for tea, because I love your lasagne.” He hesitates because Robert isn’t moving. “I don’t have to.”

“No…come in. He didn’t say anything. I’ve just got a lot of work on, that’s all. He's upstairs.” He says as they walk into the kitchen.

“If you need me to pick him up, you only have to ask.”

“I know.” He sets a beer on the table in front of him and pulls his tie off.

“So, how are you?”

“You see me almost every day in the office. I don’t know…”

Before he can answer there’s a thunder of footsteps and Seb is hugging him and the moment’s gone, Robert getting up from the table and messing around with the oven as Seb starts chattering away about school. It’s almost like nothing has changed, like he hasn’t been living somewhere else for the past months, and if it wasn’t for the stiffness of Robert’s posture and the awkwardness that surrounded them he could believe it had never happened.

He tells Seb to go wash his hands waiting until he’s gone to stand next to Robert, hating how he tenses even more.

“I can go, if you want. I’ll make up an excuse to him.”

“You’re here now, and you have to eat.” He can’t argue with that, one of the downfalls of living on his own again is having to cook just for himself.

They don’t speak much as they eat, letting Seb’s chatter fill the silence as he tells them all about his friends and every little bit of his day. After dinner they spend some time on the playstation while Robert works at the table

Seb’s obviously ecstatic to have them both in the same house again and Aaron just thinks it’s going to hurt all over again when he has to leave.

“Seb, it’s bedtime.”

“But…Aaron’s here!"

“Yes, but it's late. Aaron will come over again and you’re staying with him next weekend. Come on.” The exaggerated sigh is expected and they share smile at his antics as he climbs the stairs as slowly as he possibly can once he’s hugged Aaron goodnight.

“When you’re done…can we talk?” Robert nods, a strange look in his eyes.

*****

It feels weird being here, alone in the living room and he hovers near the sofa waiting for Robert. The place is so different now, there’s years of life all around. Seb’s stuff is everywhere, the books Robert usually kept for reading in bed are now piled on the coffee table. He doesn’t feel at home, which he supposes is the point of him moving out but it’s an odd feeling and he’s not sure he likes it.

“Right, that’s him sorted. You want another beer?”

“I want you to tell me what’s wrong. There’s obviously something, because Seb noticed.”

“I don’t know what he told you, but there’s nothing wrong. I’m just tired and working too much, that’s all.”

“You think that works on me? He said he heard you talking to Vic.” He hesitates a little, because in all the conversations they’ve had since they broke up, not once had they mentioned them and he wasn’t really sure he wanted to open that box. “He said you missed me.”

He doesn’t answer, makes a show of going to the fridge grabbing them both another drink.

“Are you going to talk to me, or are we going to sit in silence all night, because if we are I might as well go.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say. Yes Seb heard me talking to Vic…of course I miss you! Did you think I wouldn’t just because you’re not here?”

“No…but…I suppose I didn’t expect you to be quite so…”

“Pathetic?”

“You’re many things Robert, but you’re not that.”

“It’s not your problem though is it? What should I say, yes I miss you, I want you to come home, want us to be a family again."

“Rob, you can’t do this. We decided.” This wasn’t what he wanted, didn’t need to think that maybe they could try again. He wouldn’t handle it if they failed, not again.

“What if we were wrong? Because I don’t feel better like this. Do you?”

“I…I feel better that we’re not hurting each other any more. Or Seb.” Robert was right on the money, he didn’t feel any happier but at the same time, the thought of going back to constant fights over stupid little things that just escalated was awful.

“You don’t think he’s hurting?”

“Obviously it’s going to take time. He’ll get there. We can’t go back to how we were, you know that.” He doesn’t get an answer and he wishes he’d never started this. “Rob.”

“Don’t you think about it? Us. How good it was, before we messed it up, we were good Aaron. We were a family.”

“Of course I do, but maybe…I don’t know, maybe we just ran our course. I don’t ever want to end up hating you and I was afraid that if we stayed together we would.”

“Do you…could we ever…” Aaron shrugs because how does he answer that question.

“Robert, don’t. It’s too hard.”

“Because when I think about us, there are way more good times. Don’t you remember them?” He wants to run, the whole house is suffocating him but he’s rooted to the sofa.

“I mean it Robert, don’t. I’m not the bad guy here!”

“Neither am I. I just don’t think we should’ve given up so easily.” He gets up and starts pacing, eyes fixed on their wedding photo, still on the shelf in pride of place.

“It wasn’t easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done and if you think I don’t regret every day that we couldn’t make it work then…” He can’t carry on. “I need to go.” Robert’s there blocking his way, the pleading expression on his face too much. “Move Robert.”

“Aaron, I’m sorry.”

“Tell Seb I’ll pick him up from school on Monday as usual.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not how I planned to end it but I've run out of steam. Maybe if I'm inspired I'll add more but for now it's done.

He doesn’t sleep, not that night, not the next night. He doesn’t see Robert, keeps out of the cafe when he knows that he and Seb have their afternoon cake and milkshake treat and he makes sure he takes all the scrap runs so he won’t run into him in the office. It’s not a good solution and it can only last so long.  
  
What’s he afraid of, if he’s sure they’re over, if he can’t go back, why does he need to avoid him.

He has no choice after the weekend, it’s his day to pick Seb up from school and take him home after tea. The only contact he has is Robert texting to check he’ll still be there. He’d probably be offended if he hadn’t considered changing the plans, but he won’t. He promised Seb he’d be there, and he wouldn’t let him down.

He’s in a mood when he gets into the car, Aaron can tell that, his bag flung into the back without a care and the seatbelt pulled round with far more force than necessary.  
  
“Well you’re talkative today. Have you had a good day?” All he gets is a shrug of the shoulders. “Right, well you can tell me over tea. I thought we’d go to the burger place you like, or we can do something else. Seb?”  
  
“Don’t care.”

“Well…Granddad Paddy has some puppies in the surgery that he’s looking after, but if you don’t want to do anything I think we’ll just go home.” He wasn’t against a little bit of blackmail to get him smiling. Even so he only gets a shrug. It stays that way until they pull up outside the surgery and Seb’s out of the car and running up the path before Aaron can even unclip his seatbelt to follow him.

He’s hanging off Paddy’s arm when he gets inside, animated for the first time, asking to see the puppies.   
  
“Vanessa will show you, while me and Aaron have a cuppa.” Aaron frowns but he catches Seb’s bag as he throws it towards him, barely holding in a laugh as he all but drags Vanessa through the doors  
  
“Seb! Be gentle, remember?” He calls. “Go on then.” He says to Paddy.

“What?”  
  
“You obviously want to say something.”  
  
“I haven’t seen you for a while, not to chat to, that’s all.” He follows Paddy into the kitchen area out of Seb’s earshot although he can still hear his excited chatter as he finds the puppies. “Everything alright?”  
  
“I feel like I’ve messed everything up. Seb’s miserable, Robert’s unhappy…”  
  
“And you?” He shrugs because he really doesn’t have any idea how he feels.   
  
“I thought it would fix things. I don’t know, maybe it would be easier if we couldn’t stand the sight of each other. At least that wouldn’t be so confusing.”  
  
“So what do you want to do about it?”  
  
“That’s just it. I don’t know what to do Paddy. I still love him, but…it was so bad, the fights, both of us bringing up everything we’d promised to forget.”  
“But…”  
  
“Like Robert said, the good times outweigh the bad. We’d just got to a point where there weren’t any.”  
  
“So why think about going back to it?”  
  
“Because…it’s Robert.” He didn’t have any other reason, that said it all. “I miss him.“  
  
“If he feels the same, then maybe you should talk, properly.”  
  
“If we do, if we try…what if we fail? I can’t lose him again. I can’t let Seb get hurt again.”  
  
“You said he’s unhappy now.” He lets out a bit of a laugh. “Did you ever think, back when you told me you were gay, that we’d one day be sitting here having a conversation like this?” Aaron shakes his head.   
  
“Doesn’t help much though. Feels weird, you talking about me giving us another chance.”  
  
“Well Robert and I have moved on. What he did, is way in the past. When I look at you all I see is what I always wanted for you, even now. For you to be happy, to be yourself. I can’t tell you what to do.”  
  
“There’s a but there…”  
  
“No. I think you already know what you want to do, and I think you know what he wants. Answer me this, you’ve been apart months, you’ve got a new house, but neither one of you has filed for divorce.”  
  
He doesn’t get chance to answer before Seb’s bursting into the room asking for a puppy. In hindsight this might not have been his best idea ever.  
  
“Come on you, time to go home, before you try and take all the animals home and your Dad tries to injure me.”   
  
“Aaron?” Paddy stops him as they get to the door. “There’s a reason you haven’t, that’s all I’m saying. Just think about it.”  
  
He leaves the car, walks Seb home instead, needing time to think before he sees Robert.   
  
When he lets them in, he’s looking better than he had the last time Aaron was here, but there’s still a sadness about him, it’s been there all the time and he’s just not noticed, or not wanted to notice.  
  
“He said he wasn’t hungry so he’s had no tea. I took him to see the puppies at the Vets instead.”  
  
“How many did he want to bring home?”  
  
“I didn’t ask, didn’t want to encourage him, but he definitely wouldn’t say no to a puppy.” Robert laughs, and then it’s awkward again. “Well, I’ll go. Seb! I’m going.”  
  
“Can’t you stay?”  
  
“Not today. I still have some work to do. I’ll see you soon, yeah?” He stands up straight ruffling Seb’s hair, looking at Robert. “Keep an eye on him, he hasn’t said much.”  
  
“Course. You can stay, if you want.”  
  
“I really do have work to do. I’ll see you.”  
  
*****  
  
He shouldn’t be here. It’s the middle of the night but he can’t sleep, everything is going round and round and he knows the only thing that will stop it is talking to Robert.   
  
“Aaron?” He swallows heavily when he sees Robert, all rumpled from sleep and looking confused, and worried. “What’s the matter?”  
  
“Why haven’t you filed for divorce?”  
  
“What? It’s the middle of the night!” He stands aside to let Aaron in, still looking confused.  
  
“I couldn’t sleep. I was talking to Paddy about us, and he said if we were so sure it was over, why hadn’t either one of us filed for divorce. So why haven’t you?”  
  
“You know why. Deep down you know.”  
  
“I…” Of course he knows, even if he can’t completely admit that to himself.  
  
“I love you. I’ve never been good at letting you go have I?” That makes him smile. “Do you…is this you asking me to…”  
  
“No! I…did we make a mistake? You’re right, it’s not better, without you.” He sees Robert’s eyes widen, almost in disbelief. “How did we get here? If…I need to know how we got here.”  
  
“I suppose we stopped trying, and by the time we noticed it was too much. We couldn’t talk to each other without fighting.” He sits, perching on the edge of the sofa. “Tell me why you’re asking, Aaron.”  
  
“Because I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.” The words are out before he can stop them. “I  _can_ _’_ _t._ _”  
__  
__“_ Then we make sure we don’t. If you really want to try. We stopped talking, we never had time for  _us_. That can change.”  
  
“And Seb? How do we…he’ll be so confused.”  
  
“He’ll think it’s his birthday. Aaron he’s never stopped asking why we can’t get back together. We’ll talk to him too.” He kneels in front of him smiling. “We can make it work Aaron. Maybe this was just the shock we needed.”  
  
“Got an answer for everything, don’t you?” He looks down at his hand, still wearing his wedding ring, they both are. That should’ve told him everything he supposes. “So…”  
  
“Aaron, will you come home?” Memories of so long ago flood back and he’s dragging Robert to his feet and kissing him, holding him and everything’s just better.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short bit to finish off :)

“Seb! School!” Robert bellowed up the stairs for the third time.

“Takes after you.” Aaron teases, dumping his breakfast dishes in the sink for later. “Spends as much time gettin’ ready anyways. Right, I’m off, you’re picking him up, yeah?”

“Hmm?” Robert murmurs, sorting through their post. “Oh, yeah. If we ever get to school in the first place. Seb!”

“I’m ready.” He bounces down the last few stairs, school jumper already rumpled. Aaron crouches down to straighten it out. “Aaron? Will you be here when I get home?”

“I’ll be a bit late tonight, got some jobs out of town, I should be home before bedtime though.” He smiled, not the first time they’d had to do this before he could leave for work.

“You’re not leaving again?”

“No. Hey…” He looks up at Robert as Seb hugs him tight, arms clinging to his neck. “I’m not leaving again, ok? Listen, if I don’t get home by bedtime tonight I’ll come and tuck you in when I do get home, how’s that?” Seb sniffs against his shoulder but he nods. “Good. Right, go on, school!”

He stays where he is as they hurry out of the door, Robert’s arms full of his stuff and Seb’s forgotten backpack. He’d been back home weeks, moving back pretty much straight away because he and Robert never could take their time over anything, but Seb still expected him to disappear again.

Any time there was a slightly cross word or a raised voice he would get upset. They’d talked to him, tried to explain everything, tried to reassure him it wasn’t going to happen again, that no one was leaving. It would get better with time, everyone assured them it would, but until then their hearts would ache at every tear.

Of course he gets held up, today of all days, stuck on the motorway and all he can do is text Robert to tell him he’ll be late. When he finally reaches the village he doesn’t even park the truck up at the yard, going straight home, too tired to do anything else.

He half expects to find Seb still up and that’s exactly what greets him when he walks in the door, stomach grumbling because he missed lunch. Seb’s curled up beside Robert, wrapped up in his pyjamas and little dressing gown, fast asleep.

“Sorry. There was no way round it…” He kisses Robert on the forehead and runs a hand over Seb’s hair. “Is he alright?”

“He wouldn’t go to bed. Wouldn’t even get changed until I said he could wait up for you.” Robert eases himself from Seb’s grip and gets up, kissing Aaron properly.

“We really messed him up didn’t we?”

“Course not. It’s just a lot for him to get his head round. Hey, he’ll be fine. Why don’t you wake him, tell him you’re home, and I’ll heat your dinner.”

He crouches by the sofa, smiling. Seb looked even more like Robert when he was sleeping, which sounded stupid but he did. The little twitches, nose wrinkling slightly, just like Robert did. 

“Wakey wakey bug. It’s too late for sleepin’ on the sofa.” He shakes him gently as he wakes up. 

“You’re home!”

“Told ya I would be. I was going to come up and tuck you in but you’re littering up the sofa instead.” He tickles him, making him shriek with laughter and Robert’s shaking his head at the pair of them from the kitchen. “So, bed now, yeah?”

“Ok.” He still looks unsure though.

“We’ll both be here tomorrow. Promise.”

“Come on you, Aaron wants his tea.” He watches them go, appetite gone all of a sudden. He’s sat at the table, pushing the food round his plate when Robert comes back. “You not hungry?”

“I was but…too tired I suppose.”

“We should do something, the three of us. A holiday or something?”

“Can you get away from work?”

“If I talk to Jimmy. I don’t want us to…we said we’d make more time for us, and I known it won’t be just us, but, I can feel us falling back into the same routine again. He’s off school in a few weeks, we could go then.”

“Ok. He asleep again?” Robert nods. “Good. Come on, I missed you today.”

“Thought you were tired?”

“Robert, shut up and come to bed.”

*****

It’s not the holiday Robert would have chosen but last minute and with Aaron telling him not to go mad it was a good second choice and Seb loved the idea of staying in a caravan almost on the beach.

It was a new experience, his Dad never willing to spend enough for them to have a holiday like this, never able to leave the farm long enough anyway. In the end they’d brought Isaac with them so Seb had company and the two of them had run off to play as soon as they arrived, leaving Aaron grumbling about doing all the work.

“What is it about you Sugdens, running off when there’s heavy lifting to be done?”

“Er, excuse me, I’m helping! Didn’t see the Dingle offering to help much.” He threw back as they carried suitcases inside. They’d finally got their banter back, it had been lost with everything, and they’d spent too long walking on eggshells when Aaron moved back home. Now they were getting back to normal. “Well this isn’t so bad.”

“What were you expecting?”

“Nothing…shut up!” He exclaims when Aaron starts laughing. 

“He looks happy doesn’t he?” Aaron says a bit later as he watches Seb running around outside. Robert wanders over, wrapping his arms round him from behind.

“Well that’s the idea. I know I am. What about you?”

“I reckon I might be.”


End file.
